Broncos’ Davis Webb says he’s ready for the offense to “take off” after Payton takes over play-calling vs. Chargers

The Broncos have ended their play-calling experiment with offensive coordinator Davis Webb, and head coach Sean Payton will take over those duties for Denver’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The move comes with Webb still standing by the offensive process, saying he is disappointed with how the unit performed at the start of the season but believes the team is close to turning a corner.

In the framing that Payton made public, the decision is less about wholesale overhaul and more about who calls plays in a critical moment of the year. Webb, speaking from inside the offense’s day-to-day routine, indicated he remains engaged with the group and focused on execution, even as the specific assignment of calling plays changes hands.

While the demotion of an offensive play-caller can report a broader lack of trust, Webb’s tone described a different emphasis. He positioned the problem as something that can be corrected through refinement rather than abandoning the identity of the offense. That matters in the NFL, where shifting philosophy too quickly can create new timing issues for quarterbacks, skill players, and the entire route tree.

Denver’s offense is also dealing with the reality that play-calling is only one piece of production. Even with a coordinator change, the consistency of protection, third-down conversion, and red-zone efficiency typically determine how fast an offense gains traction. Payton’s readiness to take over suggests the Broncos want tighter control of in-game decisions, especially in situations where play selection can separate efficiency from stalled drives.

For Webb, the transition places him in a different role than the one fans saw earlier in the season. Offensive coordinators often remain heavily involved in game plans, install work, and play design. But the shift to Payton calling the plays suggests Denver wants the head coach’s direct influence to come through in real time, from cadence decisions to adjustments based on defensive looks.

The matchup with the Chargers raises the stakes for how quickly Denver can stabilize. Los Angeles brings its own defensive variety, and opponents tend to test whether an offense can anticipate pressure and finish drives under adverse conditions. With Payton directing play-calling, the Broncos’ performance will be evaluated not just on volume, but on whether the plan translates into sustained drives.

The short-term story is clear: Payton is calling plays now, and Webb is trying to keep the offense moving in the right direction while the team searches for its next level. What to watch next is whether Denver’s early-game rhythm and third-down efficiency improve in a way that supports Webb’s belief that the unit is close to breaking through.

In the NFL, mid-course corrections can take weeks to show up fully, especially if the change requires players to adjust how quickly they react to pressure and how they interpret second- and third-down adjustments. Still, with the play-calling switch already confirmed for Sunday, the Broncos’ offense has an immediate opportunity to validate that the gap between “close” and “rolling” is smaller than it looked to start the year.